MY RIDE- Madeline Roller: 1997 Honda Accord

Although a licensed driver for only two short years, Madeline Roller has had the opportunity to test drive a lot of cars. As one of four children, Madeline drove a couple of "hand-me-down" vehicles before she found her 1997 Honda Accord.

"Originally I liked my older brother's car– he had a Chevy Blazer– but it wasn't until I found the Honda that I was really happy," she says.

What makes the '97 Honda superior to Madeline's previous cars?

"It gets great gas mileage, and I really like driving a smaller car" she says. "It's a lot easier to handle, especially in the city where parking can be difficult."

Madeline regrets that her status as a freshman at Virginia Tech means she's won't be driving the Accord for a while.

"The school doesn't allow freshmen to have cars but I plan to drive over the holidays and bring it back for my second year," she says.

But until she heads down I-81 next week, Madeline is putting the car to good use spending time with friends and baby sitting.

"I always seem to be driving," she says. "If I'm not driving the kids to go bowling or to the pool, then I'm driving my friends around. It's a dependable car, and I'm going to miss it."